Effects of body weight-supported overground training on gait recovery in severe stroke-induced hemiplegia: a single-case ABAB design.

Abstract

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the effect of body weight-supported overground training on gait recovery in a patient with severe stroke-induced hemiplegia. [Participants and Methods] The participant was a woman in her 40s with severe hemiplegia following a stroke. A single-case ABAB design was employed. Standard physiotherapy was provided in the first and third phases, while physiotherapy combined with body weight-supported overground training was administered in the second and fourth phases. Walking speed, Timed Up and Go test, Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS) and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) for motor function, and motor-functional independence measure (m-FIM) for activities of daily living (ADL) were performed to assess efficacy of body-weight-supported overground training. [Results] Walking speed improved from 0.26 m/s at admission to 0.37 m/s in the first phase, 0.58 m/s in the second phase, 0.45 m/s in the third phase, and 0.50 m/s in the fourth phase, reaching 0.40 m/s with a T-cane at discharge. m-FIM scores increased steadily from 20 points at admission to 74 points at discharge, while BRS and FMA showed minimal improvement. [Conclusion] Body weight-supported overground training may enhance walking ability, functional performance, and ADL independence in patients with severe stroke-induced hemiplegia.